From San Francisco and Seattle to New York City and Boston, cities across the country have successfully implemented sustainable procurement policies. What’s the holdup in Philadelphia?

That was the spirit resonating throughout council chambers yesterday as three out of seven members of the Committee on the Environment heard testimonies from Philadelphia’s sustainability community.

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, who chairs the committee, was the only member to stay attentive and in her seat. Councilwoman Helen Gym and Councilman Al Taubenberger both shuffled in and out of the room — the former really only attentive during topics surrounding the school district and the latter seemingly more concerned with cost than tactical implementation.

Deputy Procurement Commissioner Trevor Day said the city has made great strides in gradually modifying procurement policy.

Deputy Procurement Commissioner Trevor Day said the city has made “great strides” in gradually modifying procurement policy. Day referenced the city’s LED street lights and said 30 percent of municipal office paper is recycled. Taubenberger was curious about the cost of boosting that number to 100 percent. When Reynolds Brown asked how Day would grade the city in terms of departments collaborating instead of working in silos on the procurement front, Day gave the city a B.

Sustainability Director Christine Knapp referred to the city’s Greenworks plan, which suggests the institution of a sustainable procurement policy that considers sustainable alternatives when government contracts are being renewed. The city, she said, is a member of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, a multi-city coalition developing best practices for reforming procurement policy.

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Overall, Knapp said the city has made some progress, but needs to focus on the lifetime benefit and costs of sustainable assets rather than upfront costs.

“Procurement as a whole needs to be daylighted,” Gauthier said, adding that smaller businesses want to participate, but find the process complicated. Reynolds Brown agreed.

"Procurement as a whole needs to be daylighted."Jamie Gauthier

“There’s a cost,” Taubenberger said. For example, the city purchasing hybrid cars for its fleet over traditional gas-powered vehicles is an additional expense. After asking what grants might be available to offset the cost, he added, “It has to be proven that it works. Everything we do to protect the environment is an investment in our future.”

Three representatives of local social enterprises — Solar States‘ Micah Gold-Markel, Cosmic Catering’s Adam Howell and My MilkCrate‘s Morgan Berman — were last to testify.

Berman offered her company’s technology as a resource. Using the app, the city and its constituents can dig through the company’s database and discover sustainable businesses and resources. Taubenberger thought that was pretty nifty.

“I’d love to see RFPs issued for facilities around the city to see if we can beat current prices,” he said, adding that the financial return on investment will reveal itself with time. “This is a long-term view. Solar panels are warranteed for 25 years. Over that period we can show significant savings for what the city is currently paying.”